Wireless communications systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication content such as voice, video, packet data, messaging, broadcast, and so on. These systems may be accessed by various types of devices adapted to facilitate wireless communications, where multiple devices share the available system resources (e.g., time, frequency, and power). Examples of wireless communications systems include code-division multiple access (CDMA) systems, time-division multiple access (TDMA) systems, frequency-division multiple access (FDMA) systems and orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) systems.
Multiple types of wireless communication devices are adapted to utilize wireless communications systems. Wireless communication devices may be generally referred to as access terminals. In some instances, an access terminal's communications interface (e.g., cellular wireless modem card) is configured for operation with a specific cellular service provider. For example, access terminals may be adapted to employ a specific cellular technology, as well as carrier-specific technical settings to access a carrier's network.
The variety of technical settings required for communications interfaces complicates the manufacture and sale of access terminals. One solution is to manufacture and sell access terminals specifically configured for particular carriers. However, this approach creates inventory challenges as an inventory of access terminals must be provisioned and stocked for each cellular carrier even though the only difference between the access terminals may be a small amount of cellular provisioning information stored on the communications interface. Since it is not possible to know in advance which carriers will attract more consumers, retailers must maintain excess inventory. Alternatively, consumers may be required to visit a physical location (e.g., a cellular carrier's store) to have the communications interface activated (i.e., programmed with provisioning data). However, this extra step is likely to generate consumer dissatisfaction. Both alternatives will also require the consumer to bring the access terminal into a physical location (e.g., a store) in order to switch to a new carrier.